Never
by India Rose Ghersi
Summary: Sequel to 'Together', set four years after. When Rhiannon finds out she'll be a big sister, she worries that Willow and Tara will forget all about her.
1. 1 Bedtime Stories

"I find it hard to believe sometimes." Willow said as she and Tara watched their daughter sleep.

She let her head fall on Tara's shoulder as Tara slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"She's ours. She's our daughter. We've got a family. We are a family." Willow mused.

* * *

"Mummy Willow? Mummy Tara?" Came the small, sleepy voice of their daughter as she woke.

"Yeah Sweetie." Tara said, coming closer with Willow right behind.

"We're here." Willow said, patting her little girl's leg as she and Tara sat on the edge of her bed.

"I'm scared." The little girl admitted quietly.

"What of Rhi?" Willow asked gently.

"I don't want to go to sleep."

"That's not being scared Baby." Tara said. "Besides, you've got to. It's late and Mummy Willow and I are getting tired." As if to back Tara up, Willow yawned at that very moment.

"But I'll have bad dreams if I go to sleep."

"Why don't we tell you a story? Then you can think about that and dream of that instead." Tara said. Happily, Rhiannon nodded, snuggling into her sheets.

Tara looked helplessly at her wife, clueless as to what story they should tell their daughter.

"What story do you wanna hear?" Tara asked.

"One with us in it." Rhiannon said definitely. Again, Tara looked helplessly at her wife. "I'm not very good at stories." She whispered shamefully.

"Yes you are Baby. But I'll get this one started shall I?" Willow asked, kissing Tara's cheek.

"Once upon a time." Willow started, looking affectionately back at her daughter. "There was a little girl called Rhiannon."

"That's me, isn't it Mummy Willow?"

"Sure is Gorgeous Girl." Willow smiled. "One day, when Rhiannon was at her Grandma's house, she was out playing in the big backyard…"

"I don't know my Grandma." Rhiannon interjected.

"No Sweetie. But this is a story. Anything can happen in stories." Tara reminded her daughter. "When she spotted a hole in the back hedge." She continued, taking the story over from Willow. "So, Rhiannon being a curious little girl, decided to go exploring. So, she wandered through the little gap in the hedge…"

"Suddenly, she found that she wasn't in her Grandma's backyard anymore. She was somewhere else. Somewhere really different to her Grandma's house." Willow said, taking the story once more. Intrigued and completely enthralled by her mothers' story, Rhiannon leaned forward, her eyes wide, keen to know what happened next. "Where was she Mummy Willow?"

"She wasn't sure." Willow said. "But her question was about to get answered. A kind young woman found her hiding behind a bush. The nice lady, whose name was Buffy explained where they were and took Rhiannon to the land's castle, thinking the Queens would know how to help the poor lost girl she'd found."

"So, they went to the castle," Tara continued, "where a guard was standing outside the Queens room. 'Who's your new friend?' he asked her. 'I found her. She's lost. I thought it best to bring her to the Queens. I thought they'd know what to do.' Buffy's friend, Xander thought this was quite smart and let them both in to the Queens' room."

"The Queens were impressed with Buffy and took the little girl in. Only, it took them a moment to realise who she was." Willow took over once again.

"They knew her?" Rhiannon asked curiously.

"They did." Willow smiled. "The blonde haired queen whispered to the other. 'Is this who I think it is? Is it?'. The red haired queen looked at the little girl. 'I think she might be.' The queens asked Rhiannon to come closer, and nervously, she did."

"The queens were you!" Rhiannon said excitedly. "So why was she nervous? They're her Mummies."

"Yeah, but then, they were strangers." Tara explained patiently, ruffling her daughter's red hair. "She didn't know who they were yet." She explained. "But the Queens were nice, just like everyone else Rhiannon had met in this new land, and soon, she wasn't so scared anymore. The red haired queen kneeled down so she wasn't so tall and closer to Rhiannon's height. 'Do you know who we are?' Rhiannon shook her head. She didn't think she'd seen them at all, though she thought something about them looked familiar. 'Well,' the red haired queen smiled, 'I'm Queen Willow, and this is my wife, Queen Tara…'"

"When Queen Tara told Rhiannon the truth about who they were, Rhiannon got scared again and backed away a little. She had a mother and a father back home who loved her, not two mothers." Willow said, her daughter's contented, sleepy smile making her smile too. "Queen Willow explained that really, they were Rhiannon's real parents and the ones she knew back home had been taking care of her until she found them again…" Willow stopped when she realised Rhiannon's eyes had closed. She'd fallen asleep. Getting up, Willow went around Tara to pull the covers higher over their little girl, giving her a goodnight kiss on the forehead before stepping back to allow her wife to do the same.

* * *

Hand in hand, Willow and Tara left their daughter's room.

"How did you come up with that story Baby? It was brilliant."

"It wasn't just me." Willow pointed out. "You told it too."

"Yeah, I guess I did." Tara smiled happily. "We should do that again sometime soon. It was fun."

"I think you're in luck." Willow smiled, kissing Tara's cheek.

"Hmm?"

"I get the feeling Rhi's gonna want to hear a lot more bedtime stories."


	2. 2 New Edition

"This is not fun." Willow complained as she leaned over the toilet.

"No, I don't imagine it would be." Buffy sympathised, holding Willow's hair out of the way. "But it'll be worth it at the end."

"I know." Willow said, vomiting into the toilet. "But it seems so far away now."

* * *

Tara started to get a little worried when she saw Dawn waiting for her as she returned home. "Dawnie, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Well, Will's got morning sickness."

"Oh no. Is she ok? Is she alone? She shouldn't be alone. Where's Rhiannon?"

"Well, Will's as alright as you can be when you're sick. Buffy's with her. Xander and Anya took Rhi to the park. Faith and Holly went with them."

* * *

"Tara! Thank goodness." Buffy said, looking up to see a worried Tara standing in the doorway.

"Tara?" Came Willow's weak, slightly hoarse voice and she looked over to see her beloved blonde standing there.

"I'm here Sweetie." Tara said soothingly, kneeling down next to her wife and beginning to rub circles on her back. "Thanks Buffy. I'll take it from here." She turned, smiling at their blonde slayer friend.

"Anytime." Buffy said, smiling back. "Hope you feel better soon Will."

"Not as much as I do." Willow said with a groan. Buffy laughed lightly and left the room.

"Oh Willow. My sweet, sweet Willow." Tara said sympathetically, rubbing her wife's back as she brought up again.

"You didn't warn me about this Baby." Willow complained, her voice a little stronger than before.

"I know, I'm sorry." Tara said. "I wish I could make it go away. I wish I could make you feel better."

Willow reached for Tara's hand. "Sweetie, you have. A little."

"I have what?"

"Made me feel better." Willow said. "You being with me always makes me feel a million times better than I would have before."

Tara blushed. "Me too. I always feel better when you're with me."

When Willow had started having morning sickness, their friends had quickly worked out what was going on and so they'd had to admit, that yes, there would soon be a fourth edition to the Rosenberg family. The only one who didn't know yet it seemed, was Rhiannon. The problem was, Willow and Tara weren't quite sure how to tell their daughter the news.

* * *

"Rhi, can we talk?" Tara asked, offering her hand to the little girl.

"Am I in trouble Mummy Tara?" Rhiannon asked nervously, coming closer.

"Oh no Sweetie." Tara said, picking her daughter up and resting her on her hip. "Mummy Willow and I just have something to tell you, that's all."

"Nothing bad?" Rhiannon asked. "You're not gonna leave me are you?"

Tara smiled at her daughter's nerves, recognising the nervous babbling that her daughter shared with her wife. "Oh Baby no. No one's going anywhere!" She laughed, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"Here's my favourite girls!" Willow smiled warmly as Tara sat beside her, transferring Rhiannon to her lap. Leaning over, Willow kissed Tara's lips before settling back on the lounge and slipping her arm around her wife's shoulders.

"What's going on Mummy Willow?"

"Well Rhi, something exciting's happening." Willow started, smiling happily at her daughter.

"Exciting? Are we going somewhere special?" Rhainnon asked hopefully.

"No, that's not it." Tara said patiently. "But some_one_ very special will be coming soon."

"Who?"

"A new baby." Willow smiled excitedly. "Rhi, you're gonna be a big sister."

"A new baby?" Rhiannon repeated, her face falling subtly.

"That's right Sweetie." Tara smiled.

"Where is it?"

"It's not here yet." Tara explained. "For now, the baby is in Mummy Willow's tummy. But in a few of months, it'll come."

"A few of months?" Rhiannon asked, trying hard to process the information in her head. "Why isn't it here now?"

"It's not ready yet." Willow said. "It's got to grow a little bit first, just like you grow. Then it'll come."

Rhiannon frowned.


	3. 3 Forget

"What's wrong Rhi?" Willow asked, lifting her daughter's chin gently with a finger so she could look at her more closely.

Rhiannon kept her mouth firmly closed, stubbornly shaking her head.

Willow shot a worried look at her wife, a frown forming on her face.

Reassuringly, Tara rubbed her wife's arm before turning to their daughter. "Rhi, can I show you something?" She asked, offering her hand.

"Ok Mummy Tara."

* * *

Taking the small girl's hand, Tara led Rhiannon upstairs to her room.

"What are we doing in my room Mummy Tara?" She asked as her mother picked her up and settled her on her hip. Tara carried her daughter over to the wall, where there was a picture of Rhiannon with Buffy and Xander.

"Rhi, do you know who these people are?"

"Yes." Rhiannon said. "That's Aunty Buffy and Uncle Xander." She said, pointing.

"That's right Sweetie." Tara said, sitting down on the bed with Rhiannon. "But Buffy and Xander are more than just your aunt and uncle. They're your godparents too."

"Godparents?" Rhiannon repeated slowly, trying to say the word. "What's that mean?"

"It means, that if there's something you don't want to talk about with me or Mummy Willow, you can talk to them about it."

"Can I talk to Aunty Buffy?" Rhiannon asked hopefully.

"Of course you can. Let's go find her."

* * *

Downstairs, Buffy had found an upset Willow on the lounge.

"What's wrong Will?" She asked, taking a seat beside her friend.

"I don't think Rhi wants the baby." Willow said quietly. "I don't think she wants to be a big sister."

"Maybe now." Buffy said. "I remember when Mum and Dad told me I was going to be a big sister. I was a lot littler than Rhi, but at first, I wasn't sure I wanted to be a big sister."

"Really?"

Buffy nodded. "But then, when Dawnie started kicking in my Mum's belly, I got pretty excited. Especially when they said Dawn would be looking up to me when she came."

"Yeah?" Willow asked.

"Yeah." Buffy said. "It's completely normal."

* * *

"There she is Rhi." Tara smiled as Rhiannon clung to her hand.

Willow and Buffy looked up.

"We've been looking for you everywhere Aunty Buffy."

"Really?" Bufy asked, leaning forward and propping her elbows on her knees, so she could cradle her head in her palms. "Well you found me. What's up Kiddo?"

"Rhi was hoping she could talk to you." Tara explained and Rhiannon nodded.

"Course you can Rhi." Buffy smiled, getting up and offering her hand to the little girl.

* * *

As Buffy lead their daughter away, Tara sat beside her wife. "You ok Baby?" She asked, stroking Willow's arm.

"I think so." Willow said, looking at her wife as she interlaced their fingers together. "I'm really happy about the baby. I'm really excited. I thought Rhiannon would be too."

"But she's not so much…" Tara guessed.

Willow nodded. "She'll be ok though I think. Buffy was just telling me that it's normal. She needs to get used to the idea."

"Yeah." Tara agreed. "And the talk with Buffy should help."

* * *

"What's going on Rhi?" Buffy asked, pulling the small girl into her lap.

"I'm scared Aunty Buffy."

"Scared? Why?"

"Because. I don't want a new baby. I want it to be just me and Mummy Willow and Mummy Tara, like its always been."

"A new baby is exciting. You just wait. In a few months, it'll start kicking in your Mummy Willow's belly and you'll be able to feel it."

"Really?" Rhiannon asked, her face lighting up a little.

"Yeah."

"I still don't think I want a new baby though." She admitted, her face falling again.

"Why not?"

"Because if there's a new baby, Mummy Willow and Mummy Tara will forget about me." She said quietly, a few tears trailing down her face.

"What makes you think that?"

"Babies are a lot of work." Rhiannon said. "They take up heaps of time. If they take up heaps of time, Mummy Willow and Mummy Tara will spend all their time with the baby and they won't spend any with me anymore. They'll forget about me."

"Oh Rhi." Buffy said, hugging the girl gently. "That's not true."

"It's not?"

"No." Buffy said, laughing a little. "You know Aunty Dawn?"

"Yeah."

"Well, she's my little sister and when she came, sure my Mum and Dad had to take care of her, but they didn't forget about me. Sometimes, they'd do special things with just me and them and other times, I'd help them with Dawnie."

"Really?" Rhiannon asked, hope returning.

"Yeah. It was heaps of fun. And I was the cool older sister. Dawn was always looking up to me."

"So Mummy Willow and Mummy Tara won't forget about me?"

"Not a chance." Buffy smiled. "Rhi, how could anyone forget about you?"

Getting up and offering the little girl her hand, Buffy smiled. "Shall we go tell them what's wrong? They're really worried about you."

"Ok Aunty Buffy." Rhiannon said, taking her hand.


	4. 4 Best Sister Ever

"There's our girl!" Willow said brightly as Buffy led Rhiannon towards them.

"Feeling better now?" Tara asked gently.

Rhiannon nodded, nervously glancing back at Buffy who was kneeling on the ground a little way away. Buffy smiled, giving her goddaughter a reassuring nod.

"Come here sweetie." Willow smiled, opening her arms. Feeling better, Rhiannon ran into them, hugging both her mothers tight.

"Do you want to tell us what was wrong?" Tara asked as Rhiannon settled herself in between them.

"Ok." Rhiannon said, still a little nervous. "I thought… I thought when the new baby came, you'd.. youd…"

"What did you think we'd do Rhi?" Asked Tara, slipping a comforting arm around the small girl's shoulders.

"I thought you'd forget about me."

"Oh Rhi!" Willow said, pulling her daughter in for a hug and resting her chin on Rhiannon's head briefly before pulling away to wipe a stray tear.

"I'm sorry Mummy Willow. I didn't mean to make you sad." Rhiannon said, a frown forming on her face as she leaned in and squeezed her mother.

"It's ok Sweetie." Willow said, a small smile forming on her lips as she patted her daughter's back.

* * *

"What made you think we could ever forget about you Rhi?" Tara asked.

"Babies are a lot of work. I thought with a new baby, you wouldn't have time for me anymore."

"Aww, sweetie no! That's not true. We'll always have time for you, and we'll never forget you." Willow promised, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"You won't?"

"No Rhi! We love you. We need you here."

"You do?"

"Didn't you know Sweetie?" Tara asked. "Being a big sister is one of the most important jobs ever. The baby's gonna be looking up to you one day. You're gonna be the cool older sister. Besides, don't you want to help us?"

"Help?"

"Yeah. Babies are a lot of work. We can't do it all by ourselves." Willow said.

"What would I do?"

"You could play with it, teach it things, help us give it a bath."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Of course you could." Willow smiled.

"Rhi, you're gonna be the best big sister there's ever been." Tara agreed.

* * *

"You know you were wrong before." Holly told her sister.

"I was? What about?"

"You and Willow are the best big sisters there's ever been." Holly smiled, hugging her sister tight. At the look Tara gave her, Holly spoke again. "Ok. On second thought, maybe the three of you can share the title."

Tara's face relaxed into a grin. "Maybe you and the new baby might share a title too, if it's a girl."

"Which it will be." Holly joked, knowing Willow was hoping for another girl.

"Which it will be." Tara echoed.

"What title would that be?" Holly asked.

"Best little sister ever." Tara smiled, hugging her sister close.


	5. 5 The Willara Realm

_A Few Months Later_

"Oh wow, it's amazing isn't it?" Willow breathed.

"What is?" Tara asked, rolling over to face her wife.

"When the baby kicks."

"I remember that." Tara mused, putting a gentle hand on Willow's belly. "It's like hearing the heartbeat isn't it?"

"It makes it real." Both said at once.

"It makes what real?" Rhiannon asked curiously from the doorway.

"Oh hey Sweetie." Tara said, smiling towards their daughter and beckoning for her to come closer.

"The baby was kicking, do you want to feel?" Willow asked.

A little nervous, but excited at the same time, Rhiannon nodded and climbed up onto the bed. Gently, Willow took her daughter's hand and guided it to her round bump.

"It's not doing anything." Rhiannon observed, frowning.

"It was before. Just wait Sweetie, it'll do it again soon." Willow said optimistically. Carefully, she leaned over, kissing Tara's lips over their daughter's head.

"See?" Willow smiled as the baby kicked her belly again. "There it was."

"That was it kicking?" Rhiannon asked, fascinated.

"Sure was." Willow said.

"Did I do that when I was in your tummy Mummy Willow?"

"You were in my tummy sweetie." Tara answered. "And you did."

"But I don't think there's much room in there, especially when the baby gets bigger. It's probably kicking as it moves around, trying to get comfortable." Willow said, rubbing her belly as she felt the baby move again.

* * *

"It's getting late, probably time you went to bed Rhi." Tara said, glancing at the clock.

"Ok." Rhi said, a little disappointed. "But I'm not tired. Will you tell me a story?"

"Sure Sweetie." Willow smiled, getting up and carefully settling their young daughter on her hip. She found her free hand flying protectively to her belly as Rhiannon squirmed a little in an attempt to get comfortable. Willow winced as the baby gave a particularly hard kick.

Rhiannon frowned, watching her mother. "Are you ok Mummy Willow? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I never want to hurt anybody. I hate it when my mummies hurt…"

Willow kissed her daughter's forehead, effectively stopping the nervous babbling. "No Sweetie. It's ok, you didn't hurt me. You've got to be careful though ok? Gentle. We wouldn't want to hurt the baby."

"No." Rhiannon said, shaking her head in agreement

* * *

"Now, what story should we tell huh?" Tara asked, pulling the covers over her daughter before she joined Willow sitting on the bed.

"What about one in that land where you're Queens?" Rhiannon suggested, her eyes growing a little wider.

"Sounds good to me." Willow said, smiling at her two favourite girls. "Do you want to start this time?" She asked, turning to Tara.

"Ok." Tara said, a little nervous. "Now Rhi, you remember that Rhiannon was in a different land right?"

"Yeah." Rhiannon nodded. "What was it called? You never told me that."

"We didn't?" Tara asked disbelievingly, thinking quickly. "Ah, the land was called the Willara Realm." Willow raised an eyebrow at her wife's quickly made up name. Tara winked, hoping Willow would get it soon.

"So, Rhiannon had been living in the Willara Realm with Queen Willow and Queen Tara for a while when a very bad man came. His name was Wilkins." Tara started.

"In the middle of the night one night, when the whole kingdom was sleeping, Wilkins came and kidnapped Rhiannon." Willow continued, the last part eliciting a horrified, surprised gasp from her daughter. "When Queen Willow and Queen Tara woke up in the morning, Rhiannon was nowhere to be found and they both got very worried."

"They loved her very much, and they missed her terribly." Tara continued, taking the story over again. "They organised a search party to find Rhiannon, lead by the kingdom's faithful protector Buffy, who had of course, found her in the first place. They searched, and for a long time, they found nothing. Queen Willow and Queen Tara started getting more worried every day their little girl wasn't found. They started to get sad." Tara continued, gently stroking her daughter's hair as a few tears fell from her little face. "They didn't want to lose Rhiannon forever. They loved her, they missed her, and they really wanted her home with them, where she belonged."

"Meanwhile, somewhere far away from the castle, Wilkins had taken Rhiannon to a cave where he had trapped her." Willow said, taking over once more. "Wilkins had left her alone. Scared, upset and worried that she'd never see her Mummies again, Rhiannon started to cry. Not far from the cave, a lovely, kind young girl heard her and followed the sounds into the cave. She found Rhiannon and freed her, and together, they ran for freedom before Wilkins returned."

"Back at the castle," Tara continued, "Queen Willow and Queen Tara had lost all hope. They were just about to start yet another search party when there was a knock at the door. They sat down on their thrones and smiled for their yet unknown visitors. Rhiannon and the girl who had saved her, Holly, came in. Upon seeing Rhiannon, both Queens fell to their knees and started to cry and Rhiannon let go of Holly's hand and ran into their arms."

"Why were the Queens crying?" Rhiannon asked, confused. "They got Rhiannon back."

"They did." Tara smiled. "But they thought they'd never get her back. They thought they'd lost her forever. When they saw Rhiannon again, they were the happiest they'd ever been."

"Happy tears." Willow smiled, patting Rhiannon's leg.

"Rhiannon wrapped her arms around the two queens and they hugged her tight. They never wanted to let her go again." Willow said, returning to the story. "'I thought you'd never find me. I thought you'd forgotten about me.' Rhiannon told them. Suddenly, Queen Tara remembered they had another visitor, and looked up at her."

"'We can't thank you enough.' Queen Tara said, smiling at the young girl. 'You brought our little girl back to us. You must be rewarded.'" Tara said, taking over from Willow again. "Queen Tara had to think for a while before she came up with what she thought was a good reward. 'What is your name child? You will live here with us, in the palace.' She decided. 'My name is Holly.' Said the young girl. Holly was a little nervous, but agreed after Rhiannon told her how much she liked her and begged her to stay, and so she did."

* * *

Seeing Rhiannon had fallen asleep, Tara leaned forward, kissing her forehead and stepped back to let Willow do the same.

When they turned to leave, they saw Holly standing in the doorway.

"The Willara Realm hey?" She asked Tara, playfully nudging her sister. "Clever. And I saved your little princess. What does that make me?"

"Oh, I'm sure we gave you a title." Tara said glancing at Willow.

"A lady." Willow decided. "You were definitely a lady."

"Wasn't I a lady before?" Holly asked, a little confused.

"Well, yes but before that you were just Holly. Now, you're Lady Holly."

"Oh I see." Holly said, a smile escaping her lips. "That's cool. So I should be, being sister to the Queen and all." She said, nudging Tara again.

* * *

"How did you come up with that?" Willow asked curiously when they were alone in their bed.

"You didn't get it did you?" Tara asked.

"Was I supposed to?"

"Willow. Tara. Willara." Tara explained and a smile formed on Willow's face as the puzzle pieces fitted together in her mind.

"Oh of course! Why didn't I get that before?" She shrugged. "Must be baby brain." Tara laughed, kissing her wife's lips lovingly.

* * *

In her own room, Holly's thoughts swirled through her mind. It had been just a kids bedtime story, for Rhiannon, and they did have their own family… But, she couldn't help but worry that she didn't matter to Willow and Tara anymore. That just as Rhiannon had feared when she'd found out Willow was pregnant, that they'd forgotten about her. Now, Rhiannon was firmly convinced, but Holly wasn't so sure…


	6. 6 It's Time

_3 Months Later_

Willow sat on the lounge, arm around Rhiannon as they watched Shrek. It was Rhiannon's favourite bit, towards the start where Donkey's owner wanted to sell him and he got fairy dust on him and he started to fly. That was when the sudden, unbearable pains made Willow wince and grit her teeth to stop the screams of pain so she didn't frighten Rhiannon. Though it had been incredibly painful Willow tried to ignore it.

"You right there Red?" Faith asked, stopping as she saw the pained expression on Willow's face.

"Yeah. I should be fine." She said slowly through gritted teeth. "The baby's really trying to kill me today."

"Ok, but I'm gonna stay here. Just to be safe. Ok?" Faith said, taking a seat beside her and placing a comforting hand on her knee.

Willow nodded, secretly glad Faith was staying.

* * *

"Uh oh." Rhiannon said, echoing Donkey as the spell wore off in the movie and he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Uh oh's right Rhi." Faith said, noticing the liquid falling from in between Willow's legs.

"What?" Rhiannon said, a little dazed as she dragged her attention from the movie.

"Red, the baby ain't tryin' to kill ya. It wants to meet its mummies." Faith explained, helping Willow up slowly as she groaned in pain again. Faith turned to Rhiannon. "Rhi, I need you to go tell your Mummy Tara and everyone else ok?"

"Tell them what?" Rhiannon asked, having not a clue what was going on.

"Tell 'em it's time." Faith said quickly, throwing Willow's arm around her shoulders so she could help support her better. "They'll know what you mean."

* * *

Rhiannon ran and found Tara upstairs, inspecting the nursery.

"Mummy Tara! Mummy Tara!" Rhiannon said urgently, tugging on her mothers dress. Tara turned around and knelt to her daughter's level.

"What is it Sweetie?"

"Mummy Tara, Aunty Faith said to tell you it's time." Rhiannon explained in a rushed voice.

"Oh goodness! Ok." Tara said, thinking quickly. "Hold on Willow! I'm coming Sweetie!" She yelled at the top of her lungs to make sure Willow would be able to hear her from downstairs.

"Mummy Tara." Rhiannon said, reminding her mother of her presence. "What's going on?"

"Oh Rhi. Ah. Um. G-go f-f-find A-Aunty Holly and tell her the same thing you told me. She can explain it to you and then help you tell the others ok?"

"Ok." Rhiannon said, still a little unsure.

"It'll be ok Sweetie." Tara said, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "But Mummy Willow needs me right now ok? You go find Aunty Holly. She'll take care of you. I promise. Everything will be ok." Tara said, kissing Rhiannon's head quickly again before rushing downstairs to Willow, leaving a bewildered Rhiannon behind.


	7. 7 Wanted

It was Holly who found Rhiannon a little while later. Still where Tara had left her, frozen as her little mind tried to process everything that was going on.

"Rhi?" Holly asked, coming closer and kneeling before her niece. "Rhi, honey, what's going on?"

Quickly, Rhiannon snapped out of her trance, falling into Holly's open arms and burying her face in her aunty's chest as the tears fell.

"Rhi? What's going on?" Holly asked, concerned now as she pulled the small red haired child away so she could look at her.

"Mummy Willow's hurting and Mummy Tara was stuttering, like she does when she's upset and Aunty Faith said it's time and I don't know what's going on!" Rhiannon explained frantically, her voice rushed, before she dissolved into tears again.

"Oh sweetie. It's ok." Holly said, realising what was happening. She stroked Rhiannon's red hair and kissed the top of her head, comfortingly tightening her grip.

"Mummy Tara said you could tell me what was going on." Rhiannon said hopefully in a small voice, looking shyly up at her aunt.

"Of course I can. Rhi, the baby's coming, that's all." Holly explained patiently.

"The baby's coming?" Rhiannon repeated, feeling brave enough to look up at her aunty with shy eyes.

"Yeah. You'll be a big sister real soon Rhi!"

"Will you help me tell the others?" Rhiannon asked.

Before Holly could answer, she spotted Dawn in the doorway. "Dawn! Brilliant!" She said smiling up at her best friend.

"Hey, it's just me." Dawn said, coming closer. "I'm no one special. Hey, is Rhi ok?" She asked, noticing the tear stains on Rhiannon's cheeks.

"Yeah." Holly said, hugging Rhiannon so she knew she hadn't been left alone. "Just a little frightened. Hey, Dawn. Will's having the baby."

"Oh. My. God." Dawn said, her mouth dropping.

"Yeah." Holly said, struggling not to laugh at her best friends dramatics. "Anyway, could you help us tell the others?"

"I'm on it." Dawn said, moving to the doorway. At the top of her lungs, she yelled so the whole house was sure to hear. "Hey guys! It's time!" Holly, and even Rhiannon couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

"Faith was wrong." Willow groaned. She and Tara had been set up in a private hospital suite and all they had to do was wait.

"What do you mean?"

"Faith was wrong." Willow repeated, wincing as another contraction hit. "The baby _is_ trying to kill me." Tara smiled at her wife, squeezing her hand supportively.

"I know it hurts Baby."

"Tare, where's Holly?" Willow asked a while later, her voice weak.

"I think she's out in the waiting room, taking care of Rhi."

Willow shook her head.

"What is it Baby? What's wrong?"

"No. She should be here. I want her here." Willow said.

"Ok, I'll go get her then." Tara said getting up. Willow tightened her grip on Tara's hand and she turned back.

"I won't be gone long Baby." Tara promised, kissing Willow's forehead. "I promise."

"No. Tara, please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone." Willow begged.

"Oh sweetie." Tara said sympathetically, kissing Willow again and stroking her hair. "But how…"

* * *

Out in the waiting room, Rhiannon was squirming restlessly on the chair next to Holly.

"Why is it taking so long?" she asked, looking at her aunt with pleading eyes. "Is Mummy Willow still hurting? Is the baby hurting Mummy Willow? When will the baby get here?"

Holly put a gentle reassuring hand on the young redhead's knee and Rhiannon returned her gaze to her aunty.

"Hey," Holly said, an idea forming in her head suddenly. "Do you want me to tell you a story?"

Eagerly, Rhiannon nodded as Holly reached over and pulled the young girl into her lap.

"Do you remember when your Mummies told you the story about how Rhiannon got kidnapped by Wilkins in the Willara Realm?" Holly asked. As she said the name 'Wilkins', she just happened to glance across at Faith who shuddered visibly.

"Yeah." Rhiannon said, her eyes wide in anticipation.

"Do you remember how Holly found her and brought her back to the Queens?" Holly asked, returning her attention to the fascinated red haired four year old on her lap.

"Yeah." Rhiannon said again, starting to snuggle into her aunty.

"Well, the Queens didn't remember at the time, but a long time ago, they'd seen her before. See, in the Willara Realm, there was magic." Holly started as her niece's eyes brightened in wonder.

"But, not everyone could do magic. Only a few, special people could. Queen Tara and Queen Willow could, and they were even more powerful when they did it together. But one day, they wanted to do something with magic they couldn't do themselves. So, they had to find someone else to do it for them. That was when they first met Holly."

"What did they want Aunty Holly?"

"They wanted a baby. So, using her magic, Holly made one for them. A baby that was both of theirs and she put it in Queen Tara's tummy."

"Just like there's a baby in Mummy Willow's tummy?"

"Exactly. And do you know who the baby was?"

"Who?"

"It was Rhiannon."

"Me?"

"In the story," Holly clarified, "but yep."

* * *

"Holly Eldridge?" A nurse called, standing in the doorway of the waiting room.

"That's me." Holly said, standing up, a little surprised. Quickly shifting a worried Rhiannon to Dawn's lap, Holly approached the nurse.

"Are you Holly?" The nurse asked as she came closer.

"I am."

"Your sisters want you with them. They asked me to tell you that they need you with them. They're in room 1609."

"Thank you."

"Aunty Holly." Came the panicked voice of Willow and Tara's oldest little girl. Holly turned around to see her niece red, her face full of worry. Holly came closer to her and knelt on the ground.

"Aunty Holly, where are you going?"

"I'm going to go see your mummies."

"Can I come?"

"Not now Sweetie." Holly said gently, smiling at the young girl. "In a little while though. I promise, I'll come back ok? But for now, I need you to stay with Aunty Dawn and everyone else ok?"

Wiping a tear from her cheek, Rhiannon nodded uncertainly. "Promise?"

"Promise." Holly smiled, squeezing Rhiannon's hand gently. Bending slightly, she kissed her red head lightly before returning to her full height and wandering away to find her sisters.

* * *

It wasn't long before Holly appeared in the doorway. "Hey." She said softly, a little unsure. "A nurse said you guys wanted me in here." Willow nodded happily and Tara smiled, putting her sister at ease.

"Of course we want you here." Tara said beckoning for Holly to come to them.

Holly pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed.

"You should have been here the _whole_ time." Willow said.

"I'm here now." Holly said reassuringly, taking Willow's free hand in her own and squeezing it lightly. Willow squeezed back, a little harder as a contraction coursed through her.

"I didn't think you guys would want me here." Holly admitted quietly as an explanation.

"Holly, what ever would make you think that?" Tara asked, taken aback.

"You're your own family now. It's kind of a private thing. I didn't think you'd want me intruding…"

"Intruding?" Willow asked, her eyes growing wide. "Holly! You're our sister. Of course we want you here. I wanted you here the whole time."

"Did you forget?" Tara asked.

"Forget what?"

"This baby. This baby's your godchild Holly. You and Giles's."

"Really?" Holly asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Of course. We wouldn't want anyone else." Willow said, smiling, completely content now Holly was there with them.

* * *

"Look at that. Another beautiful girl." Giles cooed, looking down at the pink wrapped bundle in Willow's arms.

"Do you want to hold your goddaughter Giles?" Tara asked, gently taking the baby from Willow.

"My what?" Giles asked, half confused and half surprised.

"Your goddaughter." Tara repeated. "Giles, you were more of a father to me than mine ever was and I know Willow thinks of you like a father. We both love you that way." Tara said, eliciting a few tears from the Englishman. Willow nodded her agreement. "We couldn't imagine anyone else being a father figure or godfather for her Giles. Will you? Please?" Willow asked.

"Oh. Of course I will. I'd be honoured." Giles blubbered, trying desperately to wipe away the tears before anyone noticed them. "Oh look at me! I'm an emotional wreck."

"Just be careful of her head ok?" Tara cautioned, gently lowering the baby into Giles's waiting arms.

"Of course." Giles said, looking down at the baby. "Look at you. You're beautiful. As sweet as a little English rose."

Tara and Willow smiled at the sweet sight of the man they'd thought of as a father with their little girl.

"Who am I sharing with?" Giles asked suddenly.

Willow and Tara looked at each other, confused.

"I'm assuming the precious little girl has a godmother also." Giles clarified, looking up at them.

Willow and Tara nodded, understanding setting in.

"That would be me." Holly smiled as she appeared in the doorway, letting go of Rhiannon's hand. Rhiannon made straight for her mothers while Holly approached Giles and their goddaughter.

"Oh Holly. It'll be an honour to share with you." Giles said, making Holly blush.

"Thanks Giles."

"My pleasure, young lady. Would you like to hold her?"

"I'd love to." Holly smiled, holding out her arms.

"Be careful of her head." Giles and Tara said at the same time.

"It's ok, I know." Holly smiled. "Rhi's still alive." She joked, bouncing the little baby lightly.

* * *

"That baby is a bad baby." Rhiannon said definitely, scrambling up to sit beside Willow on the bed.

"No she's not." Tara said, looking concerned at her oldest daughter. "What makes you say that?"

"She hurt Mummy Willow!" Rhiannon said, pointing accusingly at the baby in Holly's arms.

"Oh sweetie. That's how she told me she was ready to come meet us. She was getting ready to come, that's all. I'm ok now. Look, all in one piece." Willow said, jokingly opening her arms out wide and smiling at Rhiannon's sweetness as she ruffled her hair and Rhiannon snuggled into her.

"Besides, you did that to me too, when you were in my tummy and you were ready to come. Look at me. I'm fine." Tara said, smiling at her daughter.

"I'm sorry Mummy Tara. I never like hurting anybody." Rhiannon said, frowning.

"It's alright Sweetie." Tara said, leaning forward to kiss her oldest daughter's cheek. "You couldn't help it."

"Now, seeing as the baby's not that bad, do you wanna meet your little sister Rhi?" Holly asked, continuing to bounce the newborn gently in her arms as she came over.

Rhiannon nodded, both eager and nervous at the same time.

"Ok," Tara said, "Sit up straight on the bed Sweetie, and hold your arms out."

Rhiannon did as she was told.

"That's it!" Tara encouraged. "Good girl. Ok Holly." She said, nodding to her sister who came over and gently slipped the baby into her big sister's waiting arms.

"Wow. She's really little." Rhiannon mused, looking down at her little sister.

"She is isn't she?" Willow asked, helping Rhiannon support the baby's head.

"Aww look at you!" Holly gushed, backing away. "I think we need a family photo of this! Tara, lean in. Everyone smile!" Holly said, smiling brightly as if to demonstrate. She grabbed her camera and clicked it then went back to check the picture.

"Oh. Look at that! Beautiful!"

* * *

"Holly, we've got one more little surprise for you." Willow smiled when it was just the three of them later that night.

"You do?" Holly asked. "Come on, you've done heaps already!"

"Well, we've got one more." Willow smiled.

"Well, Are you going to tell me what it is or just leave me hanging?"

"We're going to name her Lucinda-Jayne." Tara said finally.

"After you," Willow said, "and Tara."

"And Mum." Holly finished.

Tara nodded. "Except, we spelt Jane with a Y so it's unique for her too."

"Lucinda-Jayne." Holly said slowly, testing how the name sounded on her tongue. "I love it. It's beautiful." Holly smiled, hugging her sisters close. "Just like the four of you."

"The four of us?" Willow asked.

"You, Tara, Rhiannon, and now, little Lucy-Jayne." Holly smiled.

"You're beautiful too Aunty Holly." Rhiannon said sweetly, coming closer. Lucinda-Jayne cooed, as if to agree with her big sister. "See? Lucy-Jayne agrees with me."

"Aww. Thanks gorgeous girl." Holly said, hugging her niece. "You are too. All of you."


End file.
